


If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're falling

by AlderaanianPrincess (darthnoire), darthnoire



Series: love square oneshots [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Halloween Costumes, Happy Ending, Identity Reveal, Marichat, halloween party, ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26569312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthnoire/pseuds/AlderaanianPrincess, https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthnoire/pseuds/darthnoire
Summary: “I was trying to learn how to dance” She finally admitted “There’s this Halloween party happening at my school and I wanted to ask the guy I like to dance with me. I mean, we’ve kind of danced before, though it was more of a gentle sway and I thought… Never mind. It’s stupid anyway.” She trailed off and waved a hand in the air as if to dispel the subject.A Ladynoir dacing / Adrienette Halloween decorations oneshot from a poll done on twitter
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, adrienette, ladynoir
Series: love square oneshots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932433
Comments: 9
Kudos: 180





	If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're falling

**Author's Note:**

> Hi once again! I hope you enjoy this oneshot.  
> Let me know what you think in the comments, or dm me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/darthnoire) if you want to have a chat.
> 
> Until next time 💕

The full moon shone in the sky. It cast its arms of light over the streets of Paris, collecting the city in its comforting embrace, and keeping the darkness of the night at bay.

In the background, the night traffic filled the air with a sort of peaceful humming. The sound travelled far and almost droned out the soft music playing from her yo-yo. She didn’t dare turn it up, though. The last thing she needed was people to find out she was on that rooftop. She was in no mood to deal with curious civilians, or hungry reporters.

To say Ladybug was frustrated was a euphemism. She had been at it for hours, with no better luck, nor grace than when she had first started. She groaned in irritation and kicked a pebble, that tumbled down the building onto the street below. She flinched as she heard the sound it produced when it hit a metal pipe. She waited with bated breath for someone to realise she was there. It remained eerily quiet. No one came. Ladybug breathed out in relief.

The superheroine pulled the ties off of her raven hair, and let it cascade down her back freely. She combed her fingers through the strands and released a grumble of pain whenever her digits caught a knot. She had let her hair grow longer on a whim, but perhaps it was time to chop it back to its original length.

Satisfied with her work on her hair, the spotted hero eventually retrieved her yo-yo from where she had left it on the floor and pressed the button to replay the song.

The first notes started playing and she let the rhythm flow through her body. She tried to just listen to it, to commit it to memory, in the hope that the moves would eventually come more naturally to her.

The song came to an end. She opened her eyes and breathed out, but remained in silence for a while, before playing the song once again. She rose from her squat and got into position once again.

She moved in tandem with the song, her feet stepping one in front of the other with the beat.

Part of her couldn’t actually believe how much effort she was putting into it. Especially since those efforts would probably be fruitless. _Who was she kidding?_ Experience stated that she would most likely not even get the chance to make use of the skills she was trying so hard to acquire. It was frustrating, and dismal.

Those thoughts and feelings took root inside of her and made her miss a step. Her mind had wondered off and she had not noticed that her feet had turned the wrong way.

Everything happened in slow motion. Ladybug felt her foot get caught in the corner of a vent on the roof. She lost her balance and felt herself tilting back.

Her first instinct was to reach for her yo-yo at her hip only for her to realise that she didn’t have it on her. There was a string of curse words that bounced around in her brain.

Instead, she decided to do the next best thing. She twisted her body so she would avoid the vent. It could really do some damage if she were to fall awkwardly over the metal object even with a super suit to protect her.

There was no way she could stop her descent towards the ground then. The world around her kept tipping. She braced herself for impact. She waited for the cold hard ground to hit her. It never did.

Instead, warm arms caught her. One was placed securely behind her back, and the other behind her knees. her arms instinctively wrapped around her saviour’s neck. She looked up and met bright green eyes, a mop of blond hair, and a devilish smile. There was also a black leather mask over his face and some cat ears to go with it.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re falling for me, m’lady.” He said those words in low whisper, that sent shivers down her spine.

She had no intentions of acknowledging the feeling that spread through her body like wildfire at hearing the timbre of his voice.

“In your dreams, Chaton.” She replied instead as she flicked the bell at his throat.

He moved his arms, slowly lowering her down, and letting her feet touch the ground once again.

Ladybug rose to her full height and walked over to get her yo-yo from its place on the floor, latching it to her hip.

“What are you doing? You’ve been here for hours.”

Her head whipped around suddenly to face him, embarrassment creeping up her neck in a shade of red.

“Were you spying on me?” Her voice came out in a high pitch.

“No.” Chat Noir replied in a rush, as he waved his hands in front of him. “I just happened to be able to see you from my-” His eyes widened as he realised what he was about to say. Ladybug’s did the same.

She tried to pretend those words didn’t leave his mouth, because she didn’t want to think of the possibilities. She didn’t even want to consider them.

He cleared his throat. An awkward silence abated over them. No one dare break it for a while.

Eventually Ladybug sighed and plopped down on the ground at the edge of the rooftop. She let one leg dangle from the roof, as she propped her other foot under it. Chat Noir joined her, letting both feet sling over the edge.

“I was trying to learn how to dance” She finally admitted “There’s this Halloween party happening at my school and I wanted to ask the guy I like to dance with me. I mean, we’ve kind of danced before, though it was more of a gentle sway and I thought… Never mind. It’s stupid anyway.” She trailed off and waved a hand in the air as if to dispel the subject.

Ladybug didn’t like to discuss her personal life with Chat Noir. Especially when it concerned her crush. She could see the often sad smiles, and looks of longing directed at her, so she avoided topics that could prompt those. This time, though, frustration had gotten the best out of her and she let the truth escape.

The superheroine looked at her partner from the corner of her eye to gauge his expression. He was pointedly looking at the horizon, avoiding her gaze. His face was expressionless. He was either deep in thought, or purposefully hiding his true feelings on the subject.

“I can teach you” he said in a murmur.

“What?” She was scanning his profile, looking for any signs of teasing, or untruthfulness. His expression remained neutral.

Chat Noir turned to face her then, his green feline eyes reflecting the moonlight. “I know how to dance, and I could teach if you, if you want me to.”

“You would do that for me?” Her mouth was parted in surprise as she stared at him.

“Of course I would, m’lady.” He smiled gently at her.

Ladybug nodded; afraid her voice might fail if she were to reply.

Her mind was working slowly, so she missed Chat Noir getting up beside her. She only noticed he was standing when he offered her his hand.

She placed her hand in his and he hauled her up. They laughed as he pulled too hard, almost causing the two of them to lose their balance and fall.

He got his baton from behind his back, his hand still clutching hers, and started looking for a song they could slow dance to.

“Oh I was listening to this one.” Ladybug offered as she pulled out her yo-yo and showed him.

Chat shook his head, with a glint in his eye, showing he already knew what song he was going to pick. He clicked on the track and then closed his baton, clipping it to its back once again. The [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGFToiLtXro) filled the night air.

He looked at her, a silent question hanging in the air. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable with what they were doing. She smiled and nodded softly. There were moments when there was no need for words between them. This was one of those moments.

In this, unlike in most of their superhero duo-dynamic, she let him take the lead. He lifted the hands they were already holding and placed them at shoulder height, angling them so hers rested gently on his. Then, he grasped her other one and placed it on his shoulder, finally letting his hand rest on her waist. He brought them closer. She could feel the air crackle with energy between them, but she decided to ignore the electricity surrounding them in favour of learning this new skill.

His hands were hot on her skin, like he had just ignited something in her. She wondered if he could feel it too. If her touch burned him, as much as his burned her.

_You're just too good to be true_ _  
Can't take my eyes off of you  
You'd be like Heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much_

He took a step forward with his left foot, automatically pushing her back gently with the height of his body. She followed easily, knowing immediately what he wanted her to do. He then moved the other foot and she mirrored the action.

The hero nodded at her, pleased with her move.

_  
At long last, love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you_

Chat Noir then swayed them right, one foot at a time, and she once again followed the motion. She looked at her feet, to make sure she knew which one to move first with his. She felt her partner shook his head above her, and then he removed the hand on her waist momentarily to lift her chin up, so she would look at him.

“Eyes on my face, not on your feet. It’ll be easier for you to go with the flow, not think about it. Just have fun.”

She nodded. Her lips parted as she let herself get immersed in his green feline eyes.

_Pardon the way that I stare_ _  
There's nothin' else to compare  
The sight of you leaves me weak  
There are no words left to speak_

Her partner then started waltzing them in slow and soft circles, that she managed to follow easily, her focus on his face and far from her feet, like he had advised.

Ladybug knew the music was about to pick up after the next verse, and apprehension coiled in her stomach.

“Ready?” Chat Noir asked with a soft smile.

“Yes.” She whispered, because she knew her partner would not let her down, because she knew she could trust him. Always.

They swayed gently once again, as the lyrics drifted in the air.

_But if you feel like I feel  
Please let me know that it's real  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you_

It was then that the rhythm increased and Chat, with infectious joy, pulled her along, he swayed right and left twirling them in a circle, his hips following the motion. She mimicked him, and as she found himself having fun. She let herself feel it too.

_I love you, baby_ _  
And if it's quite alright  
I need you, baby  
To warm the lonely night  
I love you, baby  
Trust in me when I say  
Oh, pretty baby  
Don't bring me down, I pray  
Oh, pretty baby  
Now that I've found you, stay  
And let me love you, baby  
Let me love you_

He grabbed both of her hands then, and let their arms extend fully. Then let go of one of hers and prompted her to spin on herself as he held their arms high over her head. She giggled at the motion, so he did it again.

Chat pushed her away from him with the same arm, she extended her free hand, like he did his, and then with a gentle but firm pull, Ladybug was brought once again to the centre, as she wrapped both their arms around her middle. She ended up with her back pressed against his front. His breath tickled her neck and ear, and she felt a shiver, followed by goosebumps trail down her body. That feeling made her giddy and lightheaded. She did not want to think too much about that.

She knew the rhythm would slow down once again, so she was already prepared for it when Chat brought her back to their initial positions, letting her hand rest on his shoulder, and his at her waist. The other ones remained clasped together at shoulder height.

_You're just too good to be true_ _  
Can't take my eyes off of you  
You'd be like Heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much  
At long last, love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off you_

The leather-clad hero moved his feet slowly, as he let them twirl over the rooftop. She followed his every move with ease. Their laughter soared high, joining the moon and the stars in the sky.

As the chorus started playing once again, Chat let their bodies drift apart from each other, connected only by their hands. This time she moved more freely, letting her hips sway confidently. She closed her eyes, enjoying the music, the dance and her partner’s company, trusting he would guide her. He did.

_I love you, baby_ _  
And if it's quite alright  
I need you, baby  
To warm the lonely night  
I love you, baby  
Trust in me when I say  
Oh, pretty baby  
Don't bring me down, I pray  
Oh, pretty baby  
Now that I've found you, stay  
Oh, pretty baby  
Trust in me when I say  
I need you, baby_

_Well won’t you come my way_

_Oh, pretty baby_

_Now that I found you, stay_

_And let me love you, baby_

_Let me love you._

He brought them to the centre once more for the last verse of the song, and let their bodies waltz gently, as they drifted towards each other like magnets. Their foreheads touched as they stopped to regain their breaths. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes.

“You made it look easy.” Ladybug broke the silence, and the physical contact, taking a step back.

Chat shrugged. “I had dance lessons as a kid. Mom and I used to go together, though at the time she was the one that guided us, not me.” He chuckled.

Ladybug smiled, happy to be privy to one little piece of information on his life, trying to push to the back of her mind the sensible part of her that screamed at how dangerous sharing those details could be.

She was restless and cheerful, energy and excitement coursing through her body, because she had been able to dance – for real, not just a gentle sway – without tripping, and without stepping on someone. She could do this! She just had to remember the steps so she could dance with Adrien the next day.

Suddenly, realisation struck her. “But what if my partner doesn’t know how to dance? He can’t guide me then. I need to learn how to lead.”

“We can dance again with you as the lead. I’ll guide you through it. You’ll be almost as good a dancer as me by the end of this lesson, you’ll see.”

“ _Almost as good as you?_ Is that a challenge?” She crossed her arms over her chest, cocked a hip to the side and raised an eyebrow. There was also a teasing smirk on her face.

“Only if you want it to be, bugaboo.” He leaned towards her, with a matching smirk and wiggling eyebrows.

She pushed him away by pressing the fingertip of her index finger to his nose.

“It’s on, kitty-cat.”

The moon kept rising in the sky as they spent the next couple of hours, going through different songs, Chat Noir letting her lead, correcting her when she needed, and reassuring her when she got nervous or lost some of her confidence.

Ladybug quickly picked up on it, and perhaps even managed to beat Chat Noir at his own game… Not that he would admit it to her. At least not just yet.

☾ ○ ☽

It was Friday and Adrien and all of his classmates had stayed at school to help organise the Halloween party, since they had been the ones to suggest it.

Even though the holiday was not really a French tradition, they thought it would be nice to have a social gathering, so they could make friends with the students from other classes. Besides, in their English classes they had been learning about different customs and traditions in English speaking countries and everyone had enjoyed the lesson dedicated to Halloween.

The teachers had let them bring their costumes so they could get dressed at school and not have to go home and then return, so everyone wanted to finish putting up the decorations as soon as possible so they could start getting ready.

There was excitement and happiness in the air. Adrien certainly felt it, since his father had actually let him attend the party and gave him freedom to walk home with his friends at the end without having Gorilla pick him up. He was in very high spirits, which was visible from the spring on his step and the wide smile on his face.

Adrien and Nino were in charge of holding up the boxes of decorations up to the those who were on the ladders so they could hang up the small jack-o-lanterns, spider webs, spiders, and ghosts. The both of them walked around with said boxes as they chatted and laughed at nothing and everything. It was nice to just hang out with his best friend.

Their work was almost done, and most of his classmates had left so they could start getting dressed and ready for the party that would start in an hour.

Adrien and Nino’s boxes were empty, so that meant they could put them away in the storage room and go to the locker rooms to get their costumes.

“Nino!” Alya called out to her boyfriend. “Are you ready to go get dressed? Marinette is just finishing up a few things”

The boy looked back at her with an apologetic look as he lifted the box he was holding, showing he still had to put it away.

Adrien could tell he wanted to go with his girlfriend. “Hey bro, it’s okay, I’ll take it, go with Alya. I’ll join you shortly.”

“You sure, dude?”

Adrien nodded with a smile. Nino grinned from ear to ear and placed his box on top of Adrien’s, and then raced to Alya with excitement.

The blonde boy shook his head in amusement.

After placing the boxes in the cupboard, Adrien returned to the decorated room to notice Marinette was the only one left. She was on a ladder arranging a particularly stubborn spider web that would not stick to the corner of the ceiling.

She had her tongue poking out from the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on the task. Adrien smiled at her adorable gesture.

Marinette stretched further on the ladder, trying to reach for the piece of the web that had fallen yet again, and Adrien slowly realised how that had been a colossal mistake.

It happened in slow motion. The ladder tipped forward, causing her to lose her balance, she tried to hold on to the handle, but something went terribly wrong. Her hand missed it, and as a consequence she also lost her balance.

Adrien had no time to think. He leapt into action, running towards his classmate.

He could feel the familiar sensation of adrenaline coursing through his body. He was used to it, he would feel it whenever he had his catsuit on, whenever he was battling an akuma. The adrenaline and the feeling of his blood pumping wildly through veins made him forget he was Adrien for a few moments, and his instincts as Chat Noir took over.

All he could see was a mop of midnight hair and a slender form falling from the sky. He needed to be there to catch her fall, like he’s always done, like he always will.

A memory from the night before sprang to the forefront of his mind. In his mind he re-watched Ladybug tripping on the vent and start a slow descent towards the ground. He had to catch her. He would catch her. He had never failed her before, and he was not about to start.

The teenager extended his arms as he skidded to a stop next to the ladder. The figure landed perfectly in his arms, bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck like she belonged there. Perhaps she did.

His gaze landed on deep blue eyes the colour of the ocean, nose and cheeks dotted with freckles, and rosy plump lips.

A sense of Déjà vu hit him.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re falling for me, M’la-”

He caught himself before he could finish the sentence, as he realised there wasn’t a red spotted mask around the blue eyes. His voice got stuck in his throat. He stopped breathing. He was frozen in place.

“In your dreams, Cha-” The quip to his flirty comment came fast, as she tapped a finger to his nose. But she never finished the sentence, and the teasing smile that had been dancing on her lips also faded as her arm dropped limply on his shoulder.

Marinette’s eyes were wide with shock, her mouth parted as she stared up at him. He could only stare back, equally startled.

They were both breathing hard, as the realisation of what had just happened dawned on the two of them. They stayed in that moment, their eyes tracing each other’s features, slowly connecting the dots.

They gasped at the same time.

Adrien lowered Marinette to the ground, their eyes never breaking contact. They were standing very close to each other. It was unbearable to even consider moving away from her. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t be able to. His body was being pulled to hers like a magnet. He had been looking for his lady for so long, and now that she was right in front of him, he was not about to let her go.

Her hand moved slowly towards his face. His breath caught once again. He wanted to feel the warmth of her skin on his, with no mask and no suit in the way.

“Marinette!” Alya’s eager voice broke the moment.

Marinette recoiled from him, putting distance between them, as she turned towards the source of the sound. Her reaction startled him, which also prompted him to take a step back, expanding the rift between the two.

Her absence caused a feeling of cold and dread to ripple through his body. Adrien was torn between wailing in agony and succumbing to anger, striking down Alya for interrupting their moment.

“Juleka is facetiming Luka and he wanted to talk to you. I think he wants to apologise for not being able to come tonight. He said you weren’t picking up your phone.”

Those words hit him like a bucket of iced water. He had been so enthralled with the fact he had finally found Ladybug he had forgotten about her crush… The boy she was in love with… He finally knew who it was. The mystery boy was Luka.

His heart clenched in his chest, and he forgot how to breathe. Tears threatened to spill.

“Right.” Marinette’s voice came out as a rasped whispered. “I must’ve left it somewhere while I was putting up the decorations.” She pointed loosely behind her.

She was still rooted to the same spot next to him. It seemed just like him, she was unable to move, afraid their gap would become even wider.

“C’mon then, what are you waiting for? Don’t forget we still need to get ready.” Alya urged her on.

Marinette looked at Adrien. He mirrored her action, looking into her beautiful eyes. He couldn’t read the emotions dancing behind hers.

“Sorry, I have to go. I-” She pointed in Alya’s direction with two thumbs and then started walking backwards towards her friend.

“Yeah, that’s fine. We’ll talk later.” His voice sounded stronger than he felt.

The girl nodded and offered him a small smile before she turned her back on him and jogged towards her best friend.

He felt his heart breaking into tiny pieces. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. After a few moments, he plastered his best model smile on. No one ever would know something had happened. No one would ever know what had just transpired between him and Marinette.

☾ ○ ☽

Marinette emerged half an hour later wearing a Chat Noir costume. He could tell she had sewed it herself. The details were mesmerising. His breath hitched, and he couldn’t stop staring. Nino had had to elbow him in the ribs.

“Dude, you’re staring.”

He thought he mumbled an apology, but he wasn’t sure, and he certainly didn’t stop looking her way as they approached the two boys.

“Nino! Marinette ruined our idea and came up as Chat Noir instead of Ladybug!” Alya’s eyes widened once she took in Adrien’s outfit. “Seriously? You too? Why did you come as Ladybug? You and Nino were supposed to be dressed as Chat, and Marinette and I as Ladybug.” She jabbed a finger at his chest as she finished the sentence.

Even though they had used each other’s miraculous in the past, their Halloween costumes were different enough to be inconspicuous. Ladynoire’s hair had been in a long braid, whereas Marinette had put up hers in a high ponytail. Besides her eyes were the usual deep blue instead of iridescent green. Adrien had left his hair styled the way it usually is for his photoshoots – tamed, instead of wild like Chat’s and Mister Bug’s.

“Ladybug is my favourite. She’s the head of the team.” Was Adrien’s only answer as he shrugged his shoulders.

“Ladybug is nothing without Chat Noir. He’s my favourite hero.” Marinette replied at the same time as him.

They looked at each other and blushed at the same time. Their cheeks were a shade of red that was as deep as Ladybug’s red suit. Nino and Alya either paid no heed to their awkwardness or didn’t care enough to comment.

Before he could get another word out, Alya was already pulling Marinette away to join the other girls in their class. Nino nodded towards the boys’ group cueing Adrien to join them. Against his better judgement he found himself following his best friend.

The rest of the night consisted of him barely paying attention to the conversations happening around him as his eyes scanned the crowd looking for Marinette.

On some occasions he would spot her surrounded by her friends, a smile on her face as she engaged in conversation. Other times, she would be looking at him across the room. It made his heart beat erratically in his chest. At some point he thought he had seen her walk towards him from the corner of his eyes, before someone grabbed her by the arm and pull her along.

He also tried finding her and making his way towards her, but then someone would want to tell another story that he definitely had to listen to, or Chloé would pull him for yet another dance, or Nino beckoned him to the DJ stand, because he wanted to know his opinion on the next song on his playlist.

The night went past in a blur, and suddenly the party was over. He was heartbroken.

☾ ○ ☽

Their class was in charge of clearing the venue and returning everything to the way it was before. They worked quickly and effectively as a team, and soon there were no traces of Halloween decorations left. Everyone started heading home then.

He met Alya and Nino outside once he finished his last task. He realised Marinette wasn’t with them, as he had thought.

“Where’s Marinette?” Adrien asked.

“She said she had forgotten something inside. We’re just waiting for her to come back.” Alya replied.

“You guys go home. I’ll walk Marinette home.”

“We don’t mind waiting, dude.” Nino piped in.

“Nah, don’t worry. I can tell Alya is cold. Go home.” Adrien smiled warmly at his friends.

“Alright, sunshine boy. See you on Monday.” Alya bid with a smirk and a wave of her hand, pulling Nino along.

Adrien rushed back inside to find Marinette in the middle of the room by herself.

“Hey.” She looked back when she heard his voice. “Everyone else has left. We’re the only ones left.”

He pulled the mask from his face and stuffed it in his pocket as he reached her. She still had her Chat Noir’s mask in place. There was standing so close to each other he could feel the heat of her body radiating in waves.

Marinette hummed as she looked down at the floor. She was sad. Her fake ears on top of her head seemed to be down too, like his own often did when he wasn’t feeling his best. He wanted to make it all better, to make her pain go away. A thick silence enveloped them.

“I guess the cat is out of the bag.” He said with a chuckle, trying to alleviate the tension and make her smile.

She released a dry chuckle as she nodded and rolled her eyes at his pun. “Yeah, I guess it is.” She looked up at him, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Are you mad?” Adrien had to ask because he knew how important the secret identities were to her.

“No. Not at all. I guess it was just unexpected.” Her tone was genuine, and that made him feel warm inside. She wasn’t mad, and she wasn’t disappointed. He breathed out in relief.

The smile she offered him next was small, and it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She looked down at her feet once more and avoided his gaze. Her expression screamed of sorrow. 

He knew why she was down. He remembered their conversation the day before and the reason why she had wanted to learn how to dance properly in the first place.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get your dance.” He said as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of the suit and shuffled his feet.

Marinette looked up at him once more, her lips parted in surprise.

He couldn’t believe the next words were about to leave his mouth, but he would do anything to make his lady feel better.

“I’m sure Luka will make it up to you some other time.” As the words left his lips, his heart broke once more.

“Luka?” There was confusion on her face, judging from her furrowed eyebrows.

Adrien nodded and hummed, a small and fake smile on his lips, since all he wanted to do was cry.

“C’mon, let’s go. I’ll take you home, bugaboo.” It was the only thing he could say and do to prevent him from falling apart right in front of her. If his mind was on the task of walking her home, he wouldn’t wallow in misery. He would be able to keep his emotions in check until he made it to his house. To his bedroom, and his bed, where he would collapse in a heap, and complain and cry to Plagg throughout the whole night.

He started walking towards the door, sensing her walk behind him to catch up to him, but she stopped before they reached the exit.

“Minou, wait.” The nickname made his heart flutter in his chest. He looked back to where she was standing. Her shoulders were slumped, and she was looking down at the floor. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

There was an intake of breath on his part, and he steeled himself for her rejection.

“The person I wanted to ask for a dance-” She trailed off as her courage faltered. Perhaps it hurt her to do this as much as it hurt him. “It was you Adrien. It’s always been you.” She looked up at him then.

There was hope in her eyes. He could see it despite the lack of light in the room. Adrien found himself walking towards her. There was a feeling blossoming inside of him that matched the one he had seen in her eyes.

“You wanted to dance with me?” The boy asked, because he couldn’t quite believe the words that had left her mouth.

She nodded as she bit her lip and looked up at him through a black mask and black lashes. His heart jumped in his chest at the image of her like that in front of him and the motion she had done with her head.

The feelings of grief and the pain that had started to make its home inside of him disappeared. They were replaced by a feeling of warmth that spread like wildfire.

He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. She blushed at the gesture and he grinned, happy that he had made Ladybug, his lady, blush because of something he did.

They stayed like that for a while, basking in each other’s company. Eventually Marinette laced her fingers through his and pulled him along, towards the door.

“Take me home, Chaton.”

“Are you in such a rush to get rid of me, M’lady?” He teased with a chuckle.

“No, but the faster you drop me off, the faster you can go home as Adrien and then come back to my balcony as Chat Noir.” She said with a wink.

Adrien was shocked at her boldness, but quickly recovered and laughed at her eagerness. It certainly matched his.

“I like the way you think.” He responded with a smirk.

_☾ ○ ☽ The End ☾ ○ ☽_


End file.
